Eloise Ingram remembers watching her husband, Tom, put his hands up to the side of a fence so the wolves on the other side would get to know his scent.

“It could not have been more wonderful. My husband loved it, and so did I,” she recalled. “He was thrilled to see the wolves, wolfdogs and other animals.”

Every Tuesday, Tom Ingram also participates in a memory class, part of the respite support program at Baker Senior Center Naples. This program offers a much-needed break for Eloise as a caregiver. From taking her husband to those classes, she learned about the Memory Café, a 90-minute monthly program that includes eight meetings at the senior center and four outings during the yearly calendar.

One of those outings was at the Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples in September.

“It was a very positive outing. On the way home, he said how much he enjoyed it and wanted to return for a visit,” Eloise Ingram said. “I would absolutely encourage other caregivers to experience the Memory Café. My friend, whose husband also has dementia, found out about the senior center and its programs, and now we attend together. We needed something for our husbands to do, as they are not advanced enough for memory care, and the cafe has been great.”

The senior center launched its Memory Café, the only such program in Southwest Florida, in July. It offers socialization opportunities for those with dementia and their spouses, children, friends or professional caregivers. Participants of the café meet in a comfortable setting to connect, share and engage in activities that promote communication skills and offer situations designed for interaction with others. It is free from the stressors of the effects of dementia. There are no wrong answers or expectations to do or say the right thing.

Social worker Riley McLean is the program facilitator and plans community outings and activities — music, art, games including trivia quizzes and more that aid in reminiscing and stimulate memories.

McLean leads the group through discussions and activities and ensures everything runs smoothly. Participation varies from eight to 10 individuals, including the dementia members and their caregivers.

“I develop themes for each program because I’m familiar with working with this population. I like to consider the personalities attending, and if I know some clients, I think about their past and careers and things they have enjoyed doing. I like to switch everything up and make sure it’s something new and exciting each time they attend,” Mc-Lean said.

McLean considers things the participants have enjoyed in the past, sparking discussion and leading to reminiscing. She also incorporates music, which she said is a big hit.

In her work, McLean said she often sees a significant change — usually negative — in the relationship between the caregiver spouse and their loved one diagnosed with dementia. They go from being a spouse to becoming a care partner, which she said is difficult for both involved.

“The café provides an opportunity for the care partner to put the caregiving responsibilities aside, even just for a short time, and just enjoy doing something fun with each other and focus on enjoying their relationship instead of the caregiving responsibilities. The positive impact on the relationship is evident in the way the pairs interact, with smiles replacing worries,” McLean noted.

“The non-judgmental environment enables the caregiver to not worry if the person they’re caring for says or does the wrong thing or cannot remember. They are with others experiencing the same disease, which helps reduce the isolation that a person living with dementia and the caregiver are experiencing.”

According to Jaclynn Faffer, President/CEO of the Baker Senior Center, the socialization program is inspired by a national Memory Café program and is heralded as the next step in advancing the senior center’s growth and development of health services, caregiver support and education.

Memory Café is part of its Dementia Respite Support Program, the only service of its kind in Collier and southern Lee counties, serving some 22,000 elders with dementia in Naples.

“Every group has a theme and ends with about an hour of music therapy related to the theme, during which we try to trigger a memory. The program also gives the dedicated caregiver four hours of respite to themselves, while they can be comfortable leaving their loved ones in good hands,” Faffer explained.

The various components include:

• The Memory Café, 90 minutes monthly

• The Dementia Respite Support Program, a four-hour program Monday through Friday ($55 per session)

• Brain Joggers, which meets weekly for nine sessions ($55 per session) for people with mild cognitive impairment or early memory loss

• A free Caregiver Support Program that runs for 90 minutes on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday “The Memory Café fits perfectly with our agency’s mission, which encompasses addressing the isolation and loneliness experienced by seniors and caregivers. For them, dementia isolation can increase at least tenfold,” Faffer said.

Everything the center does, she emphasized, has a single mission: To help people live longer and healthier, and have a better quality of life at home.